GERMANY

Kim Dotcom, the founder of file-sharing site Megaupload.com who faces a lengthy jail term in the United States if convicted of racketeering, money laundering and Internet piracy, seems to have a mischievous sense of humor.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have an extensive tour planned for 2012 in the U.S. and in Europe. The Wrecking Ball World Tour will begin on Mar. 18 in Atlanta, Ga. and end in Helsinki, Finland at the end of July 2012. Find the official schedule with all dates and locations for U.S. and Europe here.

Greece hoped on Wednesday it could wrap up tortuous negotiations on a debt swap as early as this week when private creditors return to Athens for a fresh round of talks to avert a chaotic default.

Brent crude slipped below $110 on Wednesday as recession fears, partly rekindled by stalled Greek debt talks, weighed on the outlook for demand, while threats by Iran to respond to European sanctions by shutting a vital trade route supported prices.

The euro and European shares weakened on Wednesday as fears about the prospect of a Greek debt default overwhelmed positive news on the outlook for Germany, the region's largest economy.

In the wake of the forceful evacuation of Samburu tribe, the German Travel Association has warned the Kenyan government that it will not help promoting Kenya as an attractive destination.

German business sentiment rose for the third month in a row in January, beating expectations and offering fresh evidence that Europe's largest economy is shrugging off a sovereign debt crisis that has hammered growth in other euro zone countries.

European shares and the single currency held firm on Wednesday as investor focus switched to the broader economic outlook and some strong results from leading U.S. companies, and away from worries about the stalemate in Greek debt talks.

Samsung won the latest round of its legal battles with Apple Tuesday when a Dutch judge ruled its appeal insufficient to block Samsung tablets for stealing Apple designs. It's a double victory for Samsung because the Netherlands is an important distribution center for the rest of Europe.

After the U. S. government shut down the major file-sharing and online storage site Megaupload, citing copyright infringement and other felonies, last week, similar sites at risk of impending prosecution are now ducking for cover. It gives rise to a question - is Megaupload shutdown the beginning of the end of these sites?

'The Artist,' 'The Descendants' will vie for Best Picture title

While global financial markets have calmed down in the waning days of 2011 and early 2012, debt problems in eurozone, China's real estate problem and oil price pressure are three big concerns which haunt the near-term outlook according to a leading macro-economy guidance organization.

The size of the Best Picture category is still unknown

Eurozone finance ministers have rejected an offer by private bondholders to help restructure Greece's debts, officials said Monday, sending negotiators back to the drawing board and raising the threat of default.

Stocks finished almost flat on Monday as investors took a break from a recent rally, awaiting earnings from bellwethers such as Apple later in the week.

Stocks ended little changed on Monday as investors took a pause from a recent rally, awaiting earnings from bellwethers such as Apple later in the week.

Rescuers recovered two more bodies from the Costa Concordia on Monday, nine days after the cruise ship sank near Giglio Island, Italy. Meanwhile, a salvage company is ready to pump out the ship's fuel.

Gold rose 1 percent on Monday to a six-week high, boosted by technical buying and as the euro rallied ahead of the outcome of a euro zone meeting on Greek debt restructuring.

European stocks hit their highest close since early August on Monday, with euro zone banks gaining sharply following a report that France and Germany were calling for a relaxation of global bank capital rules to prevent a credit crunch.

The report cited a wider acceptance in mainstream society of day-to-day anti-Jewish tirades and actions.

Stocks were little changed on Monday as recent earnings reports and development in the Eurozone provided little incentive to disrupt the recent tone for equities on the heels of the best weekly performance by the S&P 500 in a month.